Sony Canada announced today that Blyth Academy, which consists of three high school campuses in the Toronto region, has made the switch between traditional printed textbooks to digital versions loaded into Sony Reader Touch Edition devices. According to Sony Canada, this would make Blyth Academy the first high school in the world to make the switch. Each student will be supplied with a Sony e-book reader pre-loaded with course textbooks, outlines, assignments, reference materials, background reading, and personal timetables. Students will also be given access to a digital library of literature and additional class materials including digital assets needed for university admission. Sony says that among the publishers providing content is Pearson Canada.

"The digital content we've acquired, coupled with the students' Sony Readers, will dramatically improve student access to to textbooks, collateral material, literature and reading in general", said Sam Blyth, Chair, Blyth Academy in a released statement today. "Our student survey shows that they are twice as likely to read a book available in e-book format as in hard copy form."